Orbán urges Zelensky to consider truce – Novinite.com

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to consider a short truce during his first visit to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in April 2022. Orbán’s visit coincides with Hungary He holds the rotating EU presidency and believes a brief ceasefire could speed up peace talks.

Ukrainian President Zelensky stressed his desire for a “just peace” while the two leaders discussed improving bilateral relations and signing a broad cooperation agreement. Western media noted Orbán’s opposition to EU initiatives supporting Ukrainesuch as his veto of a €50 billion bailout plan, and expressed concerns about his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Orbán, considered Putin’s closest ally in Europe, softened his tone toward kyiv during the visit. He welcomed ZelenskyMr Orbán’s peace initiatives, but stressed the need for a ceasefire to speed up peace talks. Despite his earlier criticism, Mr Orbán has charted a path toward peace and expressed gratitude for Zelenskyhonest negotiations.

Zelensky stressed the importance of continued European support for Ukrainethe defence of Europe against Russian aggression and stressed the need for meaningful cooperation between European neighbours.

Orbán remains the only EU leader to maintain ties with Putin, having met him in Beijing last year. Since the start of the war, HungaryThe Russian Foreign Minister has visited Russia five times. The Kremlin, through its spokesman Dmitry Peskov, expressed skepticism about Orbán’s visit, noting that HungaryThe EU’s role as rotating EU presidency would likely prioritise Brussels’ interests over national interests.

The meeting also discussed hopes of improving long-strained relations between Budapest and kyiv, partly because of Ukraine’s Hungarian minority. Orbán said Hungarythe desire to participate in UkraineReconstruction efforts.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced the destruction of five Su-27 fighter jets and the destruction of two others at the Myrhorod airport in the Poltava region. This attack coincides with the announcement by the Netherlands of the delivery of the first of 24 F-16 fighter jets promised to Ukraine. In response, UkraineThe Air Force reported a “devastating“strike on a Russian ammunition depot in Crimea.